Helke Sander: Aufräumen

Poster “Helke Sander: Aufräumen”

„Circumstances can change through insight and thinking: Why are things the way they are?“ – Helke Sander

Helke Sander, born in 1937, is an activist, pioneer of the women’s movement, single mother, film maker, an author and an editor among many other things, always tireless and still very dedicated.
In this film, the feminist director looks back on her long and eventful life. In front of Claudia Richarz‘ camera, Helke Sander organizes and clears out things, sorting out her legacy. The film created in the process not only sheds light on the political and cinematographic work of this feminist icon, but also shows her private and humorous side.
The director combines archive footage and powerful sequences from Sander’s oeuvre and shows how Helke Sander raised the issue of the oppression of women within the student movement by emphasizing again and again that societal change, without the liberation of women, is impossible. Helke Sander addressed very early the issues of sexism and violence against women and established the first feminist film magazine in Europe, Frauen und Film.
Over the years, she made more than 30 films. Aufräumen is a documentary that invites us to (re)discover and be inspired by the works of Helke Sander. It’s still a long way to go, after all.